Garden State Trout

N and S branch

More

A few more

Bronze "trout"

Sweeeeet

nice smallies!

Nice bass, and great looking canoe! That's the way to get 'em.

Both the N and S branch are amazing to explore, we are lucky.

Those are good sized smallies! Were most of them that sized or did you get smaller ones too? They look bigger than the average Delaware smallies.
What did you get them on? That water looks kind of flat/featureless-how did you know what areas to target?

Taking fish out of a foot of water is really incredible. Casting small swim baits along any weed line or shady area. Find the shade find the fish. Saw 3 bald eagles on the S Branch float. Look into Kietechs on jig heads, deadly. We caught so many small bass we quickly lost count. Float trips are the way to go when fishing the N branch or lower S branch, cloudy days are best of course. All the deeper holes and fast runs held fish also. The main stem of the Raritan river is giving up quite a few big fish also.

A great and very underfished NJ gamefish. Thanks for the post.

They really are a great species-I much prefer them to Large Mouth as I prefer fishing moving water as opposed to still water and smallies are more often found in rivers while large mouth more often found in lakes/ponds.

As I am told, smallies are not native to NJ. Someone once told me that they were introduced in streams near train tracks when rail lines were going in and meant to be a cheap food source for rail workers. I have no idea if this is true and I cannot remember who told me that. In any case, it's nice to have them as fishing for them is similar to how you fish for a trout, but much bigger flies/lures.

Smallies pull and fight harder then lmb imo

Troutman wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 04, 2018 7:55 am

Smallies pull and fight harder then lmb imo

That's not even remotely challenged by any angler. Smallies pull a heck of a lot harder than stocked trout as well! Moving/cold water will always increase the fight in whatever fish live in those waters over warm, freshwater water fish species.

BillSmith wrote: ↑

Thu Aug 02, 2018 9:06 am

Taking fish out of a foot of water is really incredible. Casting small swim baits along any weed line or shady area. Find the shade find the fish. Saw 3 bald eagles on the S Branch float. Look into Kietechs on jig heads, deadly. We caught so many small bass we quickly lost count. Float trips are the way to go when fishing the N branch or lower S branch, cloudy days are best of course. All the deeper holes and fast runs held fish also. The main stem of the Raritan river is giving up quite a few big fish also.

That is a really nice looking one. The ones I catch in NJ never seem to have the prominent tiger striping.

Rusty Spinner wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 04, 2018 9:48 am

Troutman wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 04, 2018 7:55 am

Smallies pull and fight harder then lmb imo

That's not even remotely challenged by any angler. Smallies pull a heck of a lot harder than stocked trout as well! Moving/cold water will always increase the fight in whatever fish live in those waters over warm, freshwater water fish species.

Agree. These are my go to fish in the summer months in the S.Branch and the Musky

Those are some good ones!!

Waded the NBRR and Lamington around the Burnt Mills Bridge area yesterday midday. Lost count of the little guys I caught... only one of any size. I need to get my son-in-law's kayak out and do a float trip to find some deep holes.

Funny looking trout